1 Peter 4:7-11

1 Peter 4:7-11

Do You Serve The King?

November 26, 2006

Christ The King Sunday

Part 3 in Hopewell 2006 Stewardship Series

 

            We’re now into our third and final week of our Stewardship emphasis for this year. 

Remember the joke I’ve brought up the past 2 weeks about how the minister told the congregation that he had good news and bad news – the good news being that the Church  had all the money it needed to do whatever God called then to do – but the bad news being that most of the money the Church needed was in their wallets!

Also remember that I’ve said the past 2 weeks that stewardship does not just involve what was in your wallets – but that it had to involve everything you have.

Stewardship has got to be more than just giving your money – although as we saw last week that certainly has to be a part of it. Stewardship has got to involve your life – all you have – everything God has given you – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever God has blessed you with. Actually, our stewardship of what God has given us is our response to God.  We see what God has blessed with – whether it be money – time – talents – or whatever – and we want to return a portion of it to God for His work in the world.  

Stewardship is indeed more than the Capitol One Credit Card Card commercial asks:

What’s in your wallet?

Stewardship involves your life – it involves everything you have.  While it indeed has to include what’s in your wallet, it has to be a commitment of everything you have — money – time – talents – or whatever God has blessed you with. All that we can offer has to be given to God for God’s work in the world if we are going to truly be good stewards of God’s gifts to us.

So – as I’ve said the past 2 weeks – the theme for my stewardship sermons this year could be: 

Stewardship – it’s more than what’s in your wallet

Stewardship is seeing all God has blessed us with – — giving praise to God for all God has blessed us with – and using all God has blessed us with for His work in the world.

Last week we took a hard look at the financial aspect of stewardship – giving  our tithe to God.  Today — as we celebrate Christ the King Sunday – I want us to take a look at how we serve Christ – how we serve our King – with everything we have.

Today is Christ the King Sunday – the last Sunday of the Liturgical year before the beginning the Season of Advent next Sunday – the day we focus on the fact that Christ is King over all the universe.

Christ is King.

But – do we serve Christ?

Is Christ king over every aspect of our lives?

What would our lives look like if we let Christ be the King – the ruler – over every aspect of our lives – and we gave every aspect to Him for His work? 

How would we live if indeed every aspect of our lives — our money – our time – our talents – or whatever God has blessed us with – were given to Christ for His work?

Today we celebrate that Christ is King.

But – is Christ your king?

Do You Serve The King?

Listen to God’s word from 1 Peter as Peter calls us to live with every aspect of our lives under the Kingship of Christ.  

READ SCRIPTURE

Do you serve the King?

Such a question may have brought a resounding “no” from the members of this congregation around 1776 – as the members would have thought about King George of England and how they wanted freedom from his tyranny.

But – as I stand here today – in 2006 – and pose that question – and refer not to King George but to Christ – who is Lord of all – King of all – and ruler of all – and ask:

Do you serve the King?

I would dare say that most of you would say:

Yes! 

Or at least I want to!

Christ is King.

This means that – if we are going to be His servants – we have to serve Him with all we have – our money – our time – our talents – or whatever God has blessed us with. 

As many of you know, I enjoy watching sports. I have a friend in North Carolina who bought a Dish TV system – and bought some of the extra sports packages to go along with it.  He shared with me that – soon after he bought the system – his wife asked him if sports channels were the only ones their new dish system would receive!  After hearing about that, Sally made sure that our cable TV system would pick up more than sports.  I’m just glad that we have 2 TVs and you can tune them to different channels.

What this is leading to is a observation of mine that when a football team takes the field this, they want to be – as they say — “in the zone.” “The zone” is a state of being in which an athlete is performing at his or her very best; when they are utilizing their unique talents to the best of their ability when it matters most. When athletes are “in the zone” their mind, body, and spirit are all in sync. They execute with efficiency and precision. Their eyes blaze with confidence, and their opponents wither under their unrelenting assault. An athlete “in the zone” is almost unstoppable, and when an entire team is “in the zone” – well – their opponents don’t stand a chance.  As the fans at Duke are fond of chanting – “start the bus” – because the other team might as well load up and go home.    

But – you know — being “in the zone” isn’t something that just athletes desire. It’s desirable in most every human endeavor. When an artist is “in the zone”, they see nothing but the subject and the canvas, and with deft strokes of the brush brings the image to life. When a surgeon is “in the zone”, they can stand for hours at the operating table performing minute and delicate procedures with no margin for error. When an actress is “in the zone”, they become the character they’re portraying. When a video game player is ‘in the zone”, they’re no longer on the couch pushing buttons, they’re in the maze or on the field or living whatever adventure is being played out on the screen.

To be “in the zone” is to be at your very best when it’s needed most, to be using your skills and talents to their maximum potential. It’s not just a great way to play a game or do a job or create a work of art—it’s the way God would have us to live if we want our lives to count. A life that counts is a life that adds up to something when it’s all said and done, a life that makes a difference in this world and in the lives of people.

I read about a minister who was out for a run one winter day. He passed an older gentleman out for a walk.  The older gentleman was moving pretty slowly. As the minister got closer he noticed that the older gentleman was leaning pretty heavily on a cane in his hands. He passed him – but on his way back he noticed the older gentleman in his driveway.  The gentleman had paused – and was poking at the snow with his cane. When the minister got close he could see the gentleman was trying to knock the snow off of some low lying branches that had been buried by the passing plow. It took considerable effort to beat back the heavy, wet snow. The minister stopped and helped him – then went on his way. What struck the minister about the scene was that it wasn’t enough for this gentleman to take a walk on a balmy February day. He had to do something, get something accomplished: he had to solve a problem, to rescue his frozen branches. He wanted to walk back into the house knowing he’d done something worthwhile.

Isn’t that how it is for all of us as we make our way through this world?

We want to do more than just get some exercise and enjoy the scenery. We want to do something. We want to make a difference. We want someone, or something, to be better off because we passed this way. We want our lives to count.

We want to be “in the zone” – so to speak.

Do you serve the King?

Do you serve Christ – the King of all things?

If we are going to be servants of Christ we have to serve Him with all we have – our money – our time – our talents – or whatever God has blessed us with. We are going to have to use all God has given us for His glory – so our lives can be “in the zone” for Him – so we can make a difference for Him – so our lives can count for Him.

Do you serve the King?

In order to do really serve Christ – our King – be “in the zone” for Him – make a difference for Him – have your life count for Him – you have become a good steward of the resources God has placed in your hands. We’ve talked about money, and learned that if we want our lives to count we have to tithe of what God has given us financially. But – to really serve Christ – we have to also use our talents and abilities.    If we want to be “in the zone” – if we want to make a difference for Christ in the world – if we want our lives to count for Him – if we want to serve the King — we have to use our God-given gifts to their maximum potential.

Our lives need to be “in the zone.”

Do you serve the King?

In order to do really serve Christ – our King – be “in the zone” for Him – make a difference for Him – have your life count for Him – you have become a good steward of the resources God has placed in your hands.

But – how can you do this?

Our passage from 1 Peter 4:7-11 gives us some pointers – some instructions – on how to truly live a life that serve the King – a life that is “in the zone” for Christ.  

         1 Peter was written to Christians who had been scattered into the pagan Roman territories of Asia Minor, or Turkey. As followers of Christ in a pagan culture, they often felt like aliens and strangers. But Peter challenged them to be deliberate strangers, to live such good lives among the people that they might see their good works, and be ready to meet God on the day He drew near. In other words, he wanted them to live lives that counted.

I see in this passage three qualities that can enable you to play, or work, or live, “in the zone” – to play, or work, or live as servants of Christ – the King – letting every aspect of your life be used for Christ’s glory.   

The first quality you need is focus.

Focus on your strengths. When you’re “in the zone “ – when you are letting Christ use your strengths for His glory  – when you are utilizing your very best skills or talents to serve the King – to serve Christ – and make a difference for His glory in the world – you are truly serving Christ.

Find your strength – and use it.

You don’t see Peyton Manning — one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL —  playing linebacker. Peyton’s a smart guy and a great athlete – and he’d certainly work hard at it and do a decent job playing linebacker. But it would be a waste of his talents. It wouldn’t be satisfying for him and it wouldn’t allow him to make his maximum contribution to the team.

In the same way, if you want your life to count, you have to identify your particular gifts and strengths, and then focus on using and developing them.

Look at verse 10 in our passage for today:

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

Peter is reminding us that each of us have been given a unique combination of gifts and abilities by God to do His work in this world. Notice that each one of us has received gifts. Each person has been given special abilities to contribute to the life of the church. When you discover your gifts – your strengths – and focus on using them for Christ and His work – when you’re living your life “in the zone” for God — when you’re able to focus your time and energy on using your gifts to the best of your abilities and for God’s glory — when you are letting Christ use your strengths for His glory  – when you are utilizing your very best skills or talents to serve the King – to serve Christ – and make a difference for His glory in the world – you are truly serving Christ. You are serving the King, and the impact can be supernatural.

Do you serve the King?

When Billy Graham is sharing the good news of Christ to a stadium full of seeking people, he’s “in the zone”. The results are supernatural, beyond what they would be if any one else were on that platform, because that’s his gift. He identified it a long time ago, and made a strategic decision to operate within his “zone of effectiveness” and stay there for his whole life. That’s why he doesn’t pastor a church, though he’d probably do a better than average job of it. He hasn’t joined a seminary faculty as a professor of evangelism, though students would no doubt learn a lot from him. That focus has enabled him to preach the good news to more people more effectively than any person who’s ever lived – and in focusing on his gift, he serve the King – he serves Christ.

Do you serve the King?

Now — your gifts may not be as remarkably distinctive or fruitful as Billy Graham’s — but you have been entrusted with gifts for doing God’s work in the world – for serving the King – for accomplishing the work of Christ in the Church and in the world.

You need to identify them.

You need to use them.

Natural talents—musical talent — artistic abilities —  mechanical skills, an aptitude for working with numbers, or words, or computers, or people. Life experiences. All these things are gifts – and can be used for serving the King – for serving Christ – for doing His will and work in the Church and in the world.

Maybe you’ve had to overcome health issues, or you’ve lived through a divorce, and you’re able to come alongside people in those circumstances to offer wisdom and comfort and help.

Maybe you were raised in a happy, godly home and are able to share that health and happiness with others by opening your home to them or by teaching them what you’ve learned.

Maybe you’ve been trained as an accountant, or a programmer, or an educator. Those gifts can certainly be used by the Church – and when you use them you will be “in the zone” for God’s glory – serving the King – doing the will of God in the world.

Do you serve the King?

Stewardship isn’t just about tithing your income and volunteering at church —  stewardship means leveraging all of your God-given resources for the advance of the kingdom. It means using your gifts to serve the King here at Hopewell – but it also means using them every day – wherever you may be. A teacher, for example,  that doesn’t take advantage of her influence on students and her voice in academic forum is not being a faithful steward, no matter how much money she’s giving or how many classes she teaches.

The point is that each one of us have been gifted with a unique set of abilities, experiences, talents, and training that enables us to make a difference in the world for Christ’s sake. Each of us have gifts to give to Christ – to be used to serve Christ – our King – in the church and beyond.  We will be “in the zone”, so to speak, and have the greatest impact on the world when we discover those areas of strength and focus on them, both in the church and out in the world.

Do you serve the King?

Have you identified the gifts you have – the   unique set of abilities, experiences, talents, and training God has blessed you with – and how you can use them to serve Christ in the Church and the world?

Have you identified how you can live “in the zone” for God’s glory – and be used for God in the Church and the world?

Do you serve the King?

The first element of living in the zone – of serving the King — is to discover your gifts, and focusing on using them for God’s purposes.

The second element of operating “in the zone” – serving the King – using all you have for His glory and His work — making a difference for God in the world — is excellence. It’s not enough to be operating in your area of strength — being “in the zone” means doing it well, attaining peak performance.

A musician “in the zone” isn’t just playing the instrument they love, they’re playing it well, to the best of their ability.

A good football team is not an effective team because week after week they manage to get “in the zone” and stay there. The offense clicks, the defense does their job, and special teams come through when they need to. It doesn’t happen because they try harder on game day than the other teams or want it more badly. It’s because of their commitment to preparing themselves all week long to be their very best against that particular opponent. Mentally, physically, relationally—they are disciplined.

Look at what Peter says about the exercise of your gifts in verse 11:

“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides.”

Whatever your gift, wherever you serve, you should do it with a commitment to being your very best.

Whether your gift is singing, or playing an instrument, or teaching, or counting money, or balancing the books, or typing, or serving coffee, or holding babies, or whatever — you should do it to the best of your ability – because it is your gift to God – it is your service to the King. Be on time, fully prepared, attentive, and “prayed up” in advance. Whatever you do – it’s important. That’s what it takes to be excellent – what it takes to be “in the zone” for God – what it means to use all you have to serve the King.  

Do you serve the King?

Are you giving all you have – your time – your money – your talents – to Christ? 

Are you living “in the zone” – using your talents and gifts for God’s glory in the Church and the world?

“Living in the zone” requires focus and excellence. It requires working within your unique gifts and using them to the best of your ability

So – we need focus – we need excellence – but we also need intensity.   

To live “in the zone” — – to truly serve the King – serve Christ – with all our gifts and all our abilities – we have to live with intensity.

If you’ve ever looked into the eyes an athlete who is “in the zone” you know what I’m talking about. When an athlete is “in the zone” – it’s as though nothing exists beyond what’s happening on the field. They’re fully in the moment. There’s no distraction; no letdown, no holding back. Nothing matters—the weather, the crowd, or the sore ankle. The field they are playing on becomes for them the most important piece of real estate on Earth. Those 60 minutes of game time are the only moments that matter.

The same is true for an artist or a musician or a writer or a carpenter or a surgeon. To be “in the zone” is to be fully engaged in the task at hand.

That kind of intensity is essential to a life that counts for Christ – a life that is serving the King – a life where we are using all our gifts and abilities for God and God’s work in the Church and in the world.  

Peter addresses this intensity in verse 7 –

“The end of all things is near.”

The end of all things is near. What did he mean by that? Did he mean that Christ could return at any moment? That the world could come to an end at any time? Yes, that’s exactly what he meant. All the early believers lived with that sense of expectancy about Christ’s return. After all, He said he would be coming back. That awareness brought a sense of urgency, of intensity, to their lives. Every day mattered. Every decision had eternal consequences. Every denari they spent on themselves was one less denari to give to the poor.

That was living with intensity. That was living a life that mattered – that was “in the zone” – that made a difference for Christ in the world. That was living a life that was truly serving the King.

Now – they were wrong in believing Christ would return at any moment.  We know that – now that it is 2,000 years later and Christ has not returned. But — were they wrong to live with such expectancy – such intensity?

No, that’s how Christ-followers are supposed to live, even after 2,000 years of waiting. He didn’t say when He was coming back, He just said, “soon.” Now, apparently, His idea of soon is a little bit different than ours. Soon means anytime. Suddenly, unexpectedly, like a thief. Since you don’t know when a thief will strike, you lock your door every night. In the same way, since we don’t know when the end will come, we live every day like it could be our last, like we’re running out of time. Because we are.  Which means if you’re going to use your God-given gifts in service to others, use them now. Today. Not next year. Not when you get out of school. Not when the kids are older. Not when work slows down. Not when you retire. Now. Today. This moment.

That’s being “in the zone” for Christ.

That’s intensity.

That’s truly serving the King.

Truly serving the King.

Living “in the zone” for Christ. 

It takes focusing on your God given gifts and abilities.

It takes using your God given gifts and abilities with excellence.

It takes using your God given gifts and abilities with intensity.

So – are you serving the King?

How has God uniquely gifted you? What gifts, what life experiences, what natural talents, what professional skills has God given to you?

Are you using those gifts and talents to the best of your ability?

Is there a sense of urgency that compels you to take advantage of every opportunity to use what God has given you for His glory?

Are you living “in the zone” – focusing on God’s gifts to you – using them with excellence and intensity?

Are you serving the King?

If you want to truly serve Christ, you have to live “in the zone.”

So – stewardship in indeed more than what’s in your wallet – but it’s using what’s in your wallet – your money – but also everything God has blessed you with – your time, your talents, your abilities, for God’s glory and the work of Christ in the Church and in the world. It’s serving Christ the King with all we have.

So – are you serving the King?

Amen.

1 Peter 2:1-10

1 Peter 2:1-10

The Fifth and Sixth Great Ends: Working For Righteousness, Showing God to the World

Part 5 of The Great Ends of the Church series

August 20, 2006

As Sally and I are packing and preparing for our move to South Carolina, I have been – as I have told you the last several weeks — praying and thinking a lot about what messages God would have me bring to you these last few weeks we have together. As I continue to pray about this, I continue to be struck with the feeling that God would have us to look at what it means to be a Church – what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing.

The past 4 weeks we have been doing this by looking at one of the first statements in our denomination’s Book Of Order – which has become known as “The Six Great Ends Of The Church”.

Listen to what the Book Of Order says:

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200)

These are great words! They also give us a vision for what it means to be the Church — what the Church is to be about – what the Church is to be doing.

You see – the Church is not about the building – it’s not about the Minister – it’s about God – it’s about Christ – it’s about people who are trying to fulfill these “Great Ends” the Book Of Order lay out for us. If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God wills for it to be, then it will have to be a Church that is committed to living out these “Great Ends”.

Listen to them again:

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (G-1.0200)

6 “Great Ends”.

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God

3. the maintenance of divine worship

4. the preservation of the truth

5. the promotion of social righteousness

6. the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

4 weeks ago we looked at the first of these Great Ends — the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – and saw that – if Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God is calling it to be – then you are going to have to be people who are committed to the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind – or evangelism.

3 weeks ago we looked at the second Great End of the Church – the second thing necessary for Wentworth Presbyterian to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be. That is:

the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God – or LOVE.

If the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for the Wentworth Presbyterian Church to be, you are going to have to be committed to be loving people – people who experience God’s love for yourself – share it with each other – and share it with the world.

2 weeks ago we looked at the third Great End of the Church –

The maintenance of Divine Worship –

and discovered that – if Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to have a heart for worship – and focus on God – not just when you are gathered here – but all the time!

Then – last week – we looked at the fourth Great End of the Church –

the preservation of the truth –

and discovered that – if Wentworth Presbyterian is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be committed to shining the light of Christ into a world that would be very dark with Christ’s light.

So – 4 things that are needed if the Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be – 4 things for you to be committed to:

1. the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind

2. the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God

3. the maintenance of divine worship

4. the preservation of the truth

But – there is more!

Not only do you need evangelism — love – and a heart for worship – and a commitment to shining God’s light into the world – but the 5^th and 6^th Great Ends are also needed:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

Listen to how Peter calls on us to be a holy people – people who work for God’s will in the world and show God to the world:

READ 1 PETER 2:1-10

Some of the most popular shows on TV are the “reality TV” shows – and some of the most popular of these are what I call the “makeover shows”, in which a team of experts are brought in to transform somebody’s wardrobe, car, backyard, house, family, or physical appearance.

A few of the titles of the shows are “Extreme Makeover”, “Ambush Makeover”, “Head to Toe”, “Star Makeover”, “Renovate My Family”, “Makeover Mamas”, “Style Court”, and “How Do I Look?”.

The one considered the most bold and brash of them all – and one of the most popular — is a show called “The Swan” — which promises to turn “ugly ducklings” into “beauty queens”. Each contestant is assigned to a team of makeover experts, including a therapist, a personal trainer, a life coach, a dentist, and a cosmetic surgeon. They undergo a three-month treatment program that is supposed to result in a mental, emotional, and physical transformation. Upon completion of their treatments, some are selected to participate in a beauty pageant, with the chance to become “The Ultimate Swan”.

The website for the show gives information on former contestants.

One is a 33-year-old mother of 5 children. She has never felt beautiful and was the ugly kid at every age, in every class.

Another is a 28-year-old flight attendant in a serious rut. She has incredibly loving parents who want nothing but happiness for her. Unfortunately, she can’t see the beautiful person they see. She wants a total life change.

Still another is 27, an office worker, and has been married for one year. She grew up feeling that no one expected much from her, and so she didn’t expect much from herself. She’s tired of feeling average and is ready to dedicate herself to getting in shape and becoming a better person.

Then there is another who is 36 and recently divorced. She has worked most of her life managing volunteer services. She works so hard helping others in order to avoid doing any work on herself. She needs this life transformation to stop running and start being the person she wants to be.

These women, and the men who appear on similar shows, don’t just want to be a little bit thinner or a little bit healthier. They want to be transformed; they want to become new, better, different people.

These shows are so popular because there are many people who want to be transformed – to be changed. There are many people who want to be what they consider to be “better people” – who are not just curious about what they would look like, but want to know what they could be like if they had 3 months with a team of “makeover experts”. Maybe they not only want to look better – but want to be more disciplined, more patient, more kind, more organized. Maybe they want to be better parents, or have happier marriages, or want to be more successful in their work.

These “Makeover Reality TV” shows speak to those longings. They tell us that, with the right help and some hard work, we could really be somebody.

Time magazine analyzed the shows’ success this way:

“What people want is a new identity. They want to believe that this new, glorious self was inside them all along. These shows cater to the fantasy that if someone with a gifted eye took the time, that person would see your beauty and uniqueness, and would probe past the lie of your drab existence and bring the shimmering, true you to the surface.”

In a sense we all probably want to be better, healthier, more beautiful people.

Well, there is good news.

The good news is you can be.

The good news is we can be.

Transformation is possible.

In fact – I’ll tell you a secret — with God’s help, you can become one of the most beautiful people on Earth.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

The last 4 weeks – as we have been focusing on the 6 Great Ends Of The Church and what it means to be the people of God – we’ve seen several times that in many cases it means going against what the world says and does and going towards what God says and calls us to do. As followers of Christ, we might sometimes feel like strangers in a culture that wants less and less to do with God and His truth. Peter uses the word “stranger” several times in his epistle to describe Christians in a pagan world. We are to be strangers in the sense that we’re on a mission as we make our way through this world. We don’t just drift along with the cultural current; we don’t just mark time here until we get to our heavenly home. We are people of purpose, pointing others toward God as we travel through this world.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

I believe that followers of Christ are to be people of distinction who, by the beauty of our lives, show people a better way to live.

Christians are to be the most beautiful people on earth.

How so?

First of all — Christians are distinguished by their moral excellence.

The first thing that distinguishes followers of Christ is moral excellence.

Peter says in 1 Peter 1:13-16

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

Now that you are free from your past, that your future in heaven is secure, and that the blessings of God’s Kingdom are already yours to enjoy, live like it.

Live differently.

Live distinctively.

That expression, “prepare your minds for action,” could be paraphrased by saying: “Roll up your sleeves,” or, “Get on with it.”

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

In thinking of some of the contestants in The Swan—women who always thought of themselves as ugly ducklings, who never expected much of themselves, they were –- in a sense — living in ignorance; they weren’t aware of their uniqueness and potential and inherent beauty. That ignorance shaped their life and behavior. They thought they were unattractive so they dressed like it and acted like it. They thought they had no potential so they didn’t strive or dream or take risks. They were living in ignorance.

Peter doesn’t want that to happen to his readers, or to us. He tells us:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

For decades now, some people have been telling us that our existence on this planet is an accident, a cosmic coincidence, and that human beings are nothing more than highly evolved animals. They try to tell us that when we die we simply cease to exist; we return to the Earth from which we came. So why are we surprised when people act like animals, satisfying every physical appetite with no sense of self-control or propriety? Why are we surprised when life is so cheap that a person will kill another human being for $20, or because someone got cut off on the highway? Why are we surprised when so many people live aimlessly, drifting from one relationship to another, one party to another, with no sense of purpose? If this life is all there is, if there are no eternal consequences, if there is no God to whom we must give an account, why shouldn’t people just live for today and do what they please?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Followers of Christ know better than that.

We understand where we came from, why we’re here, and what we were created for. So, we should live like it. We should value life. We should control our appetites. We should take care of our bodies. We should respect other people’s rights and property.

Peter says in 1 Peter 2:2: “Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”

These are behaviors that demean us and demean other people, so we take them off like a pair of dirty old clothes.

So, negatively speaking, moral excellence means not conforming to the standards of a culture that is ignorant of God’s truth and love. Positively speaking, moral excellence means being holy.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Now, at first reading, this doesn’t sound especially appealing.

“Holy” isn’t one of the top 10 wannabe’s in our culture. People wannabe popular, they wannabe famous, they wannabe good-looking, they wanna have some fun. But you don’t see many magazines at the newsstands offering “10 secrets to a more holy you.” To most people, holiness sounds like a stuffed shirt; it sounds boring and stifling and joyless.

But the root idea of holiness is “otherness.”

To be holy is to be set apart from the rest, to be different or distinctive.

And since God is the ultimate “other,” holiness also means being like God.

There are some ways in which we can never be like God. We can never be all-powerful, all-knowing, or everywhere-present. But God is also good and kind and merciful and just and faithful and pure and generous and true. And we can be these things! We can’t be perfect, but we can be excellent. And when we are, we will stand out in a culture of moral confusion.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

Unfortunately, many Christians are not doing a very good job of being that these days.

The pollster George Barna has done an extensive survey of people who claim to have a personal, life-changing relationship with Christ, and he finds an appalling lack of distinction from the rest of the population when it comes to lifestyle and behavior. Christian couples are almost as likely to get a divorce as the rest of the population. Christian singles are just about as likely to be active sexually as single people who are not Christians. Nearly 50 percent of people who claim to be born-again followers of Christ believe that it is morally acceptable to live with someone without being married. That’s only 10 percent less than the general population. No wonder so many people have a hard time taking Christianity seriously—they see no discernible difference in the quality of our lives.

Suppose someone were to follow you around for a week or so.

Would they see a discernible difference in the quality of your life, or would it look pretty much like everybody else’s?

Suppose they were to listen in on your conversations in the hallway or the lunchroom or the locker room.

Would they hear gossip or backstabbing or foul language or sexual innuendo?

What if they sat beside you as you surfed TV channels or the Internet, would they find you lingering over shows or sites that were excessively violent or exploitive or pornographic?

Suppose they were to follow you around as you did your daily work, whatever that happens to be.

Would they find you wasting company time or money, losing your temper when things go wrong, humiliating people, or cutting corners on jobs when no one is looking?

If they were to sit at the dinner table in your home, would they be surprised at the lack of meaningful conversation between you and your spouse, or at how harsh or inattentive you were to your children?

Suppose they were to go shopping with you, would they see you spending money as freely as everybody else on things that really don’t matter and don’t last?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

Our behavior ought to be so distinctive that it causes people to stop and take notice. Not because it’s so weird, but because it is so attractive, so excellent. That’s what it means to be a person of distinction: showing people a better way to live.

` But, you know, moral excellence alone won’t give us influence with the people around us. Holiness, while it is admirable, can also be intimidating and distancing. How do you get close to a person who seems to be morally superior? And how do you pursue moral excellence without appearing self-righteous or judgmental?

If we are holy as God is holy, people may notice that we’re different, they may even admire certain aspects of our lives, but they won’t be influenced by our lives unless something else is present. That something else is love.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

You have to be distinguished by a moral excellence.

You also have to be distinguished by a remarkable love.

That’s the second transformation God wants to work in your life. He wants to turn you into people of remarkable love.

Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:22:

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”

Peter uses two different words for love here. The first is the Greek word philos, which we know describes brotherly love. It’s the love that people commonly feel toward their friends and family. And certainly, as God’s people, we ought to have positive, loving relationships with the important people in our lives.

But then Peter uses a second word that is not quite as familiar as the first, but one we use from time to time because there is no English word that quite captures the richness of it. It’s the word agape.

agape is the word the Bible uses to describe God’s kind of love.

It’s a unique love, unlike anything you find in human relationships.

It’s unconditional love, sacrificial love. This kind of love doesn’t just respond to people, it reaches out to people. It seeks people—even when they don’t want to be loved, even when they are hard to love. This is the kind of love that sets followers of Christ apart from the rest of the population.

Anyone can love their friends and family, but Christians are called to love everyone.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Now, Peter is mainly speaking here about the way Christians love one another. He’s saying that the quality of relationships we enjoy in the church ought to be so honest, so sincere, so transparent, and so authentic that the world can’t help but notice a difference.

Is that true of us?

Suppose someone were to be visiting the church this morning, sitting right here in the service for the very first time.

Would they be surprised at how friendly we were toward one another, and toward them?

Would they be amazed at how many people said hello to them and introduced themselves?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

But even though Peter is speaking primarily about love for the family of God, certainly this agape love ought to spill over into other relationships as well—to the people in our neighborhood, to our clients and co-workers and competitors, to strangers we meet on the street, extended family, even to people who might be described as our enemies.

We all have people in our lives who are difficult to love, who have snubbed us or hurt us or taken advantage of us.

Are we willing to forgive past offenses, to overlook shortcomings, to give people a second chance?

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

You have to be distinguished by a moral excellence.

You have to be distinguished by a remarkable love.

One without the other isn’t good enough.

Moral excellence without love is cold; people admire holiness, but they keep their distance.

Love without moral excellence is flimsy; people feel comfortable around us, but walk away unchanged.

But combine moral excellence with remarkable love, and you produce people of irresistible influence.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

God can transform you into the most beautiful people on earth – people of moral excellence and remarkable love.

Have you experienced this kind of transformation, this total makeover?

It’s not a three-month project. It’s a lifelong process, but it begins when you let God work in your life and make a difference in your life – then work through you to make a difference in the world.

God has already begun that work in many of our lives, but Peter reminds us here that we are still a work in progress.

“Like newborn babies, grow up in your salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2)

If you were to ask God to do some work in your life these days, where would it be?

In the area of moral excellence?

Changing some behavior?

Or would it be in the area of remarkable love?

Enabling you to reach out to someone you might have overlooked or stuggled with?

Invite the Lord to begin that transforming work in your life today.

At the beginning of the message, we talked about the fantasy that, if someone with a gifted eye took the time, they might see our inherent beauty and uniqueness. They might probe past our drab exterior and bring our shimmering, true self to the surface.

It turns out that is no fantasy at all — it’s the gospel.

It’s the good news that you have been created in the image of God, that your failures and flaws can be redeemed, and that by God’s grace you can become a person of distinction who, by the beauty of your life, shows the people around you a better way to live.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

The 5^th and 6^th great ends of the Church are:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

If Wentworth Presbyterian Church is going to be the Church God intends for Wentworth Presbyterian to be, you are going to have to be holy people – transformed by God into the people who promote social righteousness and exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

In other words, you are going to have to become the most beautiful people on earth.

The good news is that each of you have been created in the image of God, that your failures and flaws can be redeemed, and that by God’s grace each of you can become a person of distinction who, by the beauty of your life, shows the people around you a better way to live.

In other words, God through you can fulfill the 5^th and 6^th Great Ends of the Church:

the promotion of social righteousness

the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

In other words, God can transform you – so that by your moral excellence and remarkable love you can become the most beautiful people on earth. Amen.

Genesis 9:8-17

GENESIS 9:8-17

I PETER 3:18-22

MARK 1:9-15

“THERE IS NEW LIFE”

LENT 1 COMUNION MARCH 5, 2006

Today is the first Sunday in Lent.

Lent — that season of the church year when we focus upon the new life God offers us in Christ — and how we can respond to God’s offer by a new commitment of our lives to God and to Christ. We focus on the new life God offers us in Christ by focusing on the death of Christ — for it is the death of Christ that gives us new life. Of course we also know that Christ rose again – but unless we focus on how He gave His life for us – we will never truly understand the victory He gives us. And — as we focus on how Christ gave His life for us — we reflect upon how we can give our lives to Him.

We are also beginning a journey of sorts today as a Church in that our Gospel passages for the Season of Lent focus on Jesus’ journey on the road to Jerusalem. As we “travel” – so to speak – with Jesus – I believe we can hear God’s call to us to travel our own roads with Him towards greater commitment to Him.

As we gather around God’s table to begin our journey down the road to commitment today, we will see that following the road to commitment gives us the promise of new life – and a new beginning for our lives. God’s covenant with Noah from an Old Testament and Epistle viewpoint are before us – as is the Gospel lesson on the baptism and temptation of Christ.

READ SCRIPTURE

These are stories of new life — of new creation — of new beginnings — stories where there is new life.

There is a new beginning.

There is new life.

For Noah — the waters of the flood had subsided — but had completely destroyed the world.

All its inhabitants were dead — except for

Noah

His wife

Their sons Shem — Ham — Japeth

Their wives

8 people.

8 people and 2 of every kind of animal — male and female — enough to begin again the work of populating the world.

So – from the destructive waters of the flood –

There is a new beginning.

There is new life.

But — why was all this necessary?

Why had God destroyed all living creatures — except for those in the Ark?

Because people had turned away from God.

The author of Genesis tells us something we really should not have to be told — wickedness was great upon the earth — and every inclination in the hearts of people was evil.

This should not surprise us.

The created had forgotten the creator — and so the creator God decides to start over.

The flood comes — and kills every person and animal except for those in the Ark — but there is new life. Even from the destructive waters of the flood.

There is a new beginning.

There is new life.

Does the flood really change things?

Are Noah and his family really all that different from all those people killed in the flood?

No

They sin.

They forget God.

Nothing really changes

Or — does it?

Something changes — something is different.

What is it?

Noah looks — and there is a multi-colored bow in the sky.

Why?

Something is different.

What?

What’s different?

In a sense – God has changed.

In a sense — God is different.

God chooses to change.

God chooses to do something different.

God makes a promise — a covenant — to no longer destroy — but to save life.

So — there is something different.

God — who had sent the flood to destroy all people — promises to never destroy all of life again.

“Never again.” God says

“Never again”

“Never again”

New life indeed emerges from the destruction.

Hope indeed emerges from devastation.

Hope for new life comes from mass death.

There is a new beginning.

There is new life.

God sets the bow in the sky to be a constant reminder to God and to us that God has promised to no longer destroy all of life — but to save life.

I read a story not long ago about a boy named Tommy who was visiting his grandmother. His grandmother read him a Bible Story every day. One day she read him the story of Noah and the flood –- emphasizing the beautiful rainbow and God’s promise in the rainbow. It was a beautiful, sunny day that day – but later in the day Tommy’s grandmother noticed him staring at the sky.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Oh – I’m trying to find the rainbow” was Tommy’s response.

“Well, Tommy” his grandmother told him –

“we don’t see rainbows on sunny days like this – but only on cloudy, rainy days – when the sun breaks through the clouds to remind us that God is with us.”

Indeed, God sets the bow in the sky to be a constant reminder to God and to us that God has promised to no longer destroy all of life — but to save life – and to remind us that even in our most cloudy days – our most trying times – He is with us – and there can be a new beginning – there can be new life.

In the Gospel passage before us Jesus emerges from His baptism and testing preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God our need to repent.

Just as new life came from the waters of the flood — the proclamation of new life came from the waters of Jesus’ baptism.

There is a new beginning.

There is new life.

And so – I believe our question as we begin this season of Lent – this journey on the road to commitment — is this:

How can we respond to God –

How can respond to Jesus – and make this new beginning – live this new life — God has promised to Noah — and offers to us through Jesus Christ?

How can we respond to God – who promises in the rainbow and through Christ to always be with us?

How can we respond to God’s promise of new beginnings – and new life?

We can give of ourselves to Christ.

We can hear His call to repent and believe.

We can turn from sin and turn to God.

We can believe that God — and only God — can save us from our sins and give us new life — a new life of hope for this life and the next.

We can live like we believe that new life is indeed possible – that new beginnings are indeed possible — and that God does indeed save us.

We can live in that new life — that new way –God’s way — that God makes possible for us.

We can begin to pay more attention to our relationship with God.

We can begin to pay more attention to our prayer lives — our worship — our commitment to God’s ways of doing things and less to our way of doing things.

We can live the life of commitment – believing that there is always new life – always new beginnings.

Many believe that Lent is a time to “give up” things.

I’d rather see it as a beginning — a time to begin new things — rather than a time to end — a time to give up things.

I’d rather see it as a time for new beginnings and new life.

There is a new beginning.

There is new life.

We can begin a new relationship with God.

We can begin a new commitment to God — to His will — to His work.

We can begin a new commitment to our prayer lives — to our personal study of and reflection upon scripture.

We can begin a new commitment to our corporate worship as a church — to our corporate study of God’s word — to our corporate fellowship times which build us up as God’s people.

We can begin living the new life God offers us.

This can be a beginning.

A beginning of new life for us.

A beginning of new ways to live.

A beginning of new commitments.

If you won’t begin to live the new life God offers then you can not experience God’s plan of salvation for you. God makes the offer — but we have to choose to accept it or not. Accept it — and receive God’s salvation.

If we will not begin experiencing new life — new commitment – to God and our Church then our Church will indeed suffer.

If we do not begin living this new life and living out these new commitments in our families — in our communities — in our world — then our families — our communitites — and our world will suffer.

More than all of this, though, is that if we do not begin to live in the new life and living out new commitments to God we will suffer.

But — because of God’s promise to Noah – that rainbow that promises that God is with us at all times of our lives –

because of God’s promises to us through Jesus Christ –

we can have new life – and live lives of new commitments.

Because of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ –

There is a new beginning.

There is new life.

And — when we feel that we can not live this new life God calls us to live — when we feel tempted by the world — we can come to God — to Christ — who was tested in the wilderness — and yet waited on by angels — who was tempted — and yet did not sin — and who can strengthen us to live this new life He calls us to live.

Through Jesus Christ –

There is a new beginning.

There is new life.

Come to the table.

Receive strength for your new life – and let us receive strength for our new lives together.

Receive strength from God and from Christ.

As we partake of the sacrament it is as if we are waited upon by angels.

There is strength for times of testing.

There is strength to discover God — who wills to save and not destroy us –

There is strength to see that there is new life.

There is strength for us on our road to commitment.

Come — see — and experience that there is indeed a new beginning.

Come – see – and experience that there is indeed new life.

There is a new beginning.

There is new life.

AMEN